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11.13.12

Blackberry Farm in Tennessee

The November issue of Architectural Digest features the Beall family’s home at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, designed by the architecture firm Spitzmiller & Norris and decorated by Suzanne Kasler. I love the look of it, with the stone, siding, and shutters. Not to mention the fact that gentle farm animals are apparently welcome to wander through the yard, making the scene even more idyllic.

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The oak-paneled living room is nice…

But I really love the kitchen with the “whitewashed cypress beams and white-oak cabinetry.” I don’t understand the double-island thing, but I like how warm and inviting the room looks:

Maybe it’s because it reminds me of Meryl Streep’s kitchen in It’s Complicated. They’re not twins or anything, but there’s a similar vibe about them.

I wrote a post about the house in It’s Complicated if you missed it. It’s one of my faves. The real house they used for the exterior shots went on the market earlier this year and you can see what it looks like here.

But I digress. The other space they featured in AD that I went “ooh!” over was this porch, which looks like a perfect spot to sit and enjoy the season.

Visit Architectural Digest to read the article by Christopher Petkanas and see more photos by Pieter Estersohn.

Blackberry Farm is known as a world-class inn or, as they describe it on their Facebook page, “a 62-room Chateaux and Relais Gourmand property situated on 9,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.”

What a beautiful house! So cool that Blackberry Farm is a family business. I’ve never been there, although my husband has, and he was bowled over by the wonder if it all–the architecture, the decor, the natural beauty, and the wonderful service.

Absolutely stunning! You’re right Julia…there are similarities to Meryl’s kitchen in this one. Regarding the double islands, it is different. But I guess if I had space for 2 islands, I might have them as well!

The cheapest rooms are $1,000 a night. For that you get a bed, access to the shared common areas, and some snacks and bottled water. If you stay in a cottage, which starts to get more up in the $4,000 range, you get your own golf cart and a personal concierge.
What in the world am I going to do with a personal concierge in the middle of the Smoky Mountains? And what do you do with the golf cart, tear around in the woods? Ok, that could be fun. They probably don’t encourage it though.

Cedar shingles, metal roof, stone… put those together and on a much smaller scale and you’ve got my dream house. And it is always pleasantly surprising how those materials can make the facades of even the biggest structures seem more intimate and welcoming.

That is a very good question. How does a double island work? You must have space for days if you install a double island. The house is warm and inviting. And the kitchen is wonderful. I am constantly amazed by your movie house memory!

You’re right it does remind me of the It’s Complicated House! Love that one! Watched the movie many times because it makes me happy! Their home is just as beautiful and cozy! Love! I have a J.Crew giveaway on my blog today to celebrate my 2 year blog anniversary! Stop by and join in on the fun! XO

Want you to know how much your blog intrigues me. I get to have coffee every morning with you, always a first to go to. Live in a small home, but there is always something you share to get my creative side going. Today, the rustic/high end interiors of both the inn and toad hall (had to visit there) fit my long time style.

Is no one else getting tired of all this contrived architecture that tries to make things look old that are not? To make them look as though they have been added onto over the years, but weren’t? A room created in a few months that has as its designer or owner’s goal to look as though it had been collected over the years when it hasn’t?

What happened to actually LIVING the life that allows one to collect things over time, building things over time? I have gotten very tired of this lifestyle phoniness that is so relentlessly promoted in the shelter industry. Our need to manufacture a lifetime environment in an instant is revealing, if nothing else.

i have an island plus i bought a small, wheeled boos one for the end. i store all the bowls, tasting spoons, utensils, etc., that i use the most. it saves me time and wear and tear on my cabinets. the kids can find stuff asap. okay. i like the look. if she would just push it near the end, like in the movie, it would be so much more cool.